1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to disk drive suspensions, and more particularly to disk drive suspensions including an electrical interconnect assembly adapted to be supported on a load beam, and to interconnect assemblies in combination with a load beam. The invention suspensions and interconnect assemblies provide enhanced performance through the optimized control of noise caused by impedance differences along the interconnect by spacing laterally the normally vertically superimposed signal forward and return paths of the read or write circuits, and, in some cases, adding a grounding layer between the conductive traces and the load beam. More specifically, the interconnect assemblies herein are fabricated using an additive process for increased efficiency in locating the several laterally offset trace conductors that characterize the invention.
2. Description of the Related Art
Disk drive interconnect assemblies in wireless suspensions are known that comprise plural pairs of trace conductors carried on a plastic insulative layer to form part of read and write circuits supported by a load beam. These trace conductor pairs are subject to noise from reflected impedance variations that degrades the integrity of the signals being sent through the trace conductors. Other impedance changes occur when the spacing of the trace conductors from the load beam changes over the mutual extents of the trace conductors and the metal load beam. Past efforts to control impedance through windowing, the removal of portions of metal locally opposite the trace conductors, appears to contribute to further local variations in impedance values.